The Loving Gift

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Oh, well, she didn't have the time to speculate about him any more, had to get ready if she wasn't to be late for dinner. And within a few minutes of her arrival at the Kendricks’ all her questions would be answered anyway. Hopefully David Kendrick would also have either sobered up or become sane again by then!

It was as she went to pull the curtains over her tiny bedroom window that she noticed the falling snow for the first time; no wonder Wellington had opted for a comfortable night in front of the fire instead of his usual round of girlfriends.

The snow couldn't have been falling very long, but already there was a white covering of it on her pathway, although only a light dusting of it on the garden itself. But the flakes were quite large, and if it continued to fall at this rate…

She only needed the lightest of excuses not to go to dinner tonight, and surely falling snow could be classed as a little more than that?

But, even as a sense of relief at being spared the ordeal washed over her, she saw the headlights of an approaching vehicle coming towards her driveway. Almost instantly she recognised the vehicle as the silver-coloured Range Rover Simon occasionally used to transport the children to and from school during bad weather; the Kendricks certainly weren't going to take any chances of her opting out of this evening's plans! Or maybe Simon had made the two-mile trip from his house to her cottage at his brother's request; from what she remembered of David Kendrick, she had a feeling he could just be persistent enough to do that.

‘It's all right for you,’ she muttered to Wellington as she passed him on her way to answer the knock on the door. ‘You're assured of a nice, comfortable evening.’ As she had expected, the cat just ignored her grumblings, too sleepy and warm to even twitch an ear at the sound of her voice.

Jade gave an impatient sigh, wrenching open the cottage door.

Outside, the snow falling on hair so dark it was almost black, was the most lethally attractive man she had ever seen…

The dark hair lightly brushed the collar of the black leather jacket that was zipped half-way up the powerful chest, a chest that tapered down to a narrow waist and muscular thighs beneath tailored black trousers. There could be no doubt about it, David Kendrick had needed plenty of padding beneath the Father Christmas costume, for the rounded waistline at least, although his shoulders looked wide enough to fill the suit without any help.

She knew it was him by his eyes, navy blue eyes that looked at her as if he were eating her up. And there wasn't a squint in sight!

Just as there wasn't a single mark on the devastatingly handsome face, the nose long and straight, high cheekbones, fuller lower lip that hinted at a passionate nature. As if she needed any hints after his behaviour earlier today! If Penny hadn't walked in on them in the store-cupboard when she had, she might have received conclusive proof of just how passionate he was.

But the sensuality was there in the pleased slant of his mouth, in the blue gaze that didn't leave her face for a moment, and the hard muscles of his body were full of male challenge.

His smile widened, revealing evenly white teeth; God, didn't this man have a single defect? Of course he did, she remembered with some relief, he was more than a little strange!

‘Hello, I'm—–'

‘David Kendrick,’ she finished abruptly, nodding. ‘I know.'

‘I wasn't sure you would recognise me without my disguise,’ he drawled, his voice pleasantly deep without the cotton wool pads he had had stuffed into his cheeks earlier.

Oh, she had recognised him, all right, probably would have done so even without the help of his arrival in the Range Rover; she was never likely to forget the deep blue of his eyes, the only part of him that had really been recognisable beneath the Father Christmas disguise.

‘Penny and Simon sent me over to get you in case the snow put you off coming,’ he offered by way of explanation when she made no effort to continue the conversation.

Green eyes flared with resentment. She was pretty confident that the idea to come and collect her had been mainly David Kendrick's.

‘All right,’ he murmured indulgently, that enticing half-smile on his lips. ‘I had no intention of letting you cry off dinner tonight.'

Jade had to admire his honesty—even if it was what she had already known!

There were a lot of things about this man she could have admired if things had been different. But they weren't, and so she viewed him with the same wariness she did all strangers—more so, because he was even stranger than most!

Her gaze met his coolly. ‘I would have telephoned if I hadn't intended coming,’ she dismissed.

He grinned confidently. ‘Now there's no reason for you to have to do so. And don't worry about being able to get back later tonight; the Range Rover can easily get through any English snowfall.'

Giving the impression that this man had been in places where the vehicle wouldn't have stood a chance of doing that. Jade looked at him speculatively. Yes, he looked like a well-travelled and intelligent man, someone she would normally have found fascinating to talk to. Normally. Unfortunately, the situation wasn't normal; how could it be, when the man was so outrageous?

Her mouth tightened. ‘Would you care to wait in the living-room while I go and change?’ Her tone was distinctly distant.

He smiled, unperturbed by her offhand manner. ‘I thought you would never ask,’ he murmured as he strolled past her into the tiny room behind, pausing to look around him appreciatively at the antique furniture and décor she had deliberately chosen to complement the olde worlde character of the cottage.

‘Hello, boy.’ He went down on his haunches to tickle Wellington on his silkily soft tummy. ‘At least you have the right idea,’ he continued ruefully, still hunched down beside the cat.

Jade mentally acknowledged that a quiet evening spent in front of the glowing fire certainly held more appeal for her than one spent in this man's company. As for Wellington, he was behaving like a complete traitor; usually he ran away to hide when confronted by someone he wasn't familiar with, which was virtually everyone, but with David Kendrick he looked to be in ecstasies, an uncharacteristic look of total stupidity on his face as he still lay on his back, having his tummy stroked.

‘I'll go and change,’ she repeated stiltedly, turning abruptly to leave the room.

When David Kendrick stood up to turn towards her he was holding Wellington in his arms, still tickling him under the chin—and if Jade hadn't known better she would have sworn the silly feline was actually smiling. Damn it, he was smiling!

‘Mind he doesn't scratch you,’ she warned sharply. ‘He has been known to do that without warning.'

Dark brows rose over mocking blue eyes. ‘It's always the ones that look the friendliest that do that,’ he said softly.

Jade felt the colour warm her cheeks at his obvious double meaning. ‘It's a question of watching the eyes,’ she snapped.

His mouth quirked. ‘I'll try and remember that.'

‘Do,’ she bit out, trying not to hurry from the room but knowing she hadn't really succeeded; something about David Kendrick made her very nervous. Which was ridiculous. She was a teacher, for goodness’ sake, a responsible adult in charge of seventeen pupils on a day-to-day basis—and heaven knew, children could be complex enough to deal with on occasion. And yet David Kendrick completely disconcerted her. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed to have come so close so quickly; usually she didn't allow the type of familiarity he had taken for granted from the first. Whatever the reason, and despite the dinner they would be sharing this evening in the company of Penny and Simon, she had no intention of allowing him to come any closer.

It seemed petty, not to mention childish, to choose her most unattractive outfit to wear for the evening ahead, but she really didn't have that big a selection in her wardrobe. Her only social occasions were spent at the Kendricks', and they didn't bother about ‘dressing’ for the evening. Unless tonight was going to be different because of the presence of David Kendrick… But no, while David's clothes had obviously been fashionable and of good quality, they had been casual clothes, not in the least formal. She would feel almost dowdy against him in her serviceable navy blue skirt and practical cream blouse. Men really shouldn't be allowed to be so perfect to look at that they were almost beautiful!

Remembering the remark he had made earlier about her hair, she pulled the auburn tresses back in so tight a bun that it made her eyes smart! The pressure eased as she loosened it a little, and with a rueful shrug she realised that now she was behaving childishly. She only removed her glasses briefly, so that she could apply a little blue shadow to her lids, before firmly placing the shield back on the bridge of her nose. They acted as a barrier against people like David Kendrick, and she had no intention of going anywhere without them, despite the accuracy of his mocking comment earlier today about them being unnecessary. Or in spite of it!

As she surveyed the final result of her ten-minute change of clothes she knew that she didn't look so very different from when she had started, but she felt comfortable like this, and certainly had no intention of trying to impress David Kendrick.

Her expression was one of challenge as he turned to look at her from contemplating the falling snow out of the window. ‘Is it still snowing as heavily?’ Her tone was defensively sharp as she waited for some critical comment about her relatively unchanged appearance.

‘No,’ he dismissed. ‘You look beautiful,’ he told her huskily.

Her cheeks coloured warmly at the unexpected compliment. ‘We should leave now if we don't want to be late,’ she bit out.

His mouth quirked. ‘Something else I'll have to remember; you don't like compliments,’ he explained self-derisively.

Jade pulled on her coat without asking his assistance, the expression in her eyes enough to warn him against offering.

‘You're right about the eyes,’ he murmured softly, laughter glinting in his own dark blue depths.

She shot him a reproving glare. ‘If you've quite finished amusing yourself…?’ She stood pointedly beside the front door.

David strode across the small living-room with soft footsteps, pausing just in front of Jade. ‘I'm not laughing at you, Jade,’ he murmured softly, perfectly serious now. ‘It's just been years since I felt this damned happy, and I can't seem to stop myself smiling!'

She shot him a puzzled glance as he stood at her side while she locked the cottage door behind them, reminded once again that Penny and Simon had never mentioned he had a younger brother; there was obviously some mystery there, and now she couldn't help wondering if it weren't connected with David Kendrick's past unhappiness.

But who was she to question or speculate about another person's past? Anyone probing into her own past was likely to receive a very cutting reply.

She was deep in thought as they began the drive to Penny and Simon's house, aware of the questioning looks David Kendrick kept shooting in her direction, but doing her best not to acknowledge them.

She would get through tonight because she had already accepted Penny and Simon's invitation long before David Kendrick's arrival, but after that she was determined to stay away from the Kendrick family for the duration of David's visit.

‘You remind me of someone, you know,’ he suddenly said into the darkness, startling Jade out of the hypnotic dream she had fallen into as she watched the snow gently falling against the windscreen.

It was perhaps as well that he couldn't see how pale she had become in the darkness. No one had recognised her since she had come to this quiet little village, her role as a local teacher deflecting questions about her personal life to a certain degree. And now this man, a man who had done nothing but disturb and upset her from the first, claimed to know her.

‘She gave me a black eye at our first meeting, too,’ he continued musingly.

Jade had guiltily noticed that slight discoloration about his eye on his arrival, but had been too embarrassed—and angry!—about the whole incident to bring attention to it.

She gave an irritated frown now, still disturbed by his claim of recognising her. ‘Who did?’ she asked distractedly.

She didn't want to move on from this job until she had to; she loved the school and the pupils. And yet David Kendrick could leave her with no choice.

He gave her an indulgent smile before his attention returned to the road in front of them, that brief glance not seeming to have revealed the paleness of her cheeks to him. ‘The lovely lady you remind me of,’ he answered shruggingly.

Jade's frown deepened, and then her expression cleared with some relief as the significance of his words struck her. ‘You have someone specific in mind?’ she realised slowly.

‘Oh, yes.’ He grinned his satisfaction at having her undivided attention now. ‘As I said, she slapped my face at our first meeting, too.’ He shot her a triumphant smile. ‘And a week later I married her!'

CHAPTER THREE (#u8c3da91a-0abe-5b24-a77d-92a3eb2b51f8)

JADE gaped at him, couldn't do anything else in the circumstances. If he had married this other woman, then what—– God, he was deranged, and once this other woman had realised that she had obviously opted out of the situation. And who could blame her?

‘All that proves,’ she snapped waspishly, ‘is that you're a consistently annoying man!'

He chuckled softly. ‘Sara often thought so. But she always forgave me.’ He quirked his brows questioningly. ‘Are you going to do the same?'

She looked at him uncertainly.

He gave a rueful smile. ‘You were right about my behaviour earlier—it was outrageous, and I am ashamed of myself.'

Jade sighed. ‘That's something, at least,’ she said tartly.

He nodded. ‘Of course, it doesn't change the fact that I do want to marry you,’ he told her lightly.

‘Wouldn't Sara have something to say about that?’ Her sarcasm was unmistakable.

‘Sara's dead,’ he explained softly. ‘She has been for a number of years. And please don't apologise,’ he drawled. ‘It really was years ago.'

Jade's cheeks still burnt from the gaffe, burning anew at his mocking acknowledgement of it. How could she have even guessed that his wife had died, especially as she must have been relatively young? Oh, hell, she should have at least thought of the possibility. Now she really did feel as if she should apologise, which was exactly the disadvantage David Kendrick wanted to put her at, she felt sure. Not that his regret over his wife's death wasn't genuine, she felt certain it was; he was just mischievous enough to enjoy her discomfort, whatever the reason.

‘That's how I knew the slap was a sign,’ David Kendrick continued with satisfaction. ‘Especially when the second one resulted in this.’ He ran triumphant fingertips over the slight bruising at his eye.

Jade frowned, wishing the journey over so that at least Penny and Simon could act as a buffer between her and this strange man. ‘A sign?’ she repeated warily.

‘That Sara knew and approved of the instantaneous attraction I felt towards you,’ he nodded. ‘That she understood the time had come for that “other door to open” in my life, that she even accepted you.'

Understood and accepted—–? Dead women didn't give their husbands ‘signs’ like that! Besides, she didn't like the idea of possibly being instrumental in that ‘sign'—it made her feel uncomfortable, to say the least. The very least!

‘There's only one problem with that notion,’ she bit out sharply. ‘I have no wish to be in your life.'

He grimaced. ‘After the stunt I pulled earlier by not instantly correcting you over the mistaken identity, I'm not surprised, but—'

‘What were you doing playing Father Christmas instead of Simon?’ Curiosity got the better of her.

‘Surprising Penny,’ he explained ruefully.

Remembering how pale the other woman had gone when she had instantly realised the man behind the Father Christmas suit wasn't her husband but his younger brother, she would say he had succeeded very well in achieving that!

He sighed, undeterred by Jade's silence. ‘You see, we haven't seen each other for—a number of years. My fault, I'm afraid,’ he admitted heavily. ‘But when the two people you love most in the world remind you too painfully of the one person you ever loved more than them, the easiest—and probably the hardest, too!—thing to do is put them out of your life at the same time as you block out the pain of losing that special someone you loved.'

Jade felt as if she were being privileged with an insight into this man very few people were ever honoured with. And she, of all people, didn't want it, drew back from the intimacy of the confidence.

‘That's understandable,’ she dismissed stiffly, once again wishing the journey over.

David's mouth twisted. ‘Fortunately Penny and Simon feel the same way about it that you do—otherwise my surprise could have ruined more than one Christmas.'

And instead only her own plans for the festive season seemed to have been affected. The Kendricks had invited her to spend several pre-Christmas celebrations with them during the next few days, but with David Kendrick obviously now in on those invitations too… She would rather go back to her original plan of spending a quiet few weeks with Wellington than deliberately thrusting herself into this man's company.

‘We all used to spend so much time together,’ David murmured absently, obviously deeply lost in thought. ‘Penny and Simon, Sara and me.’ He gave a wistful sigh. ‘Penny and Sara were more like sisters.'

‘I was at college with Penny's younger sister,’ Jade blurted out as a change of subject, knowing she hadn't quite succeeded when David smiled his satisfaction.

‘Penny somehow seems to have a natural affinity with the women I'm going to marry,’ he said with satisfaction.

‘How many of us were there at the last count?’ she felt stung into retorting.

David gave her a reproving look. ‘Do I look like the sort of man who's had a string of wives?'

He looked like the sort of man who had never given marriage a thought, the perennial bachelor, in fact. But that could be because, by his own admission, his marriage to Sara had been so long ago.

Jade sighed. ‘You look like the sort of man who has had a string of women in his life,’ she taunted challengingly.

His expression became completely serious, those deep blue eyes looking almost black in the darkness. ‘A few,’ he admitted thoughtfully. ‘Although not necessarily in the way you mean.’ He smiled, as if he couldn't help himself. ‘Ask me to introduce you to Dizzy and Christi some time. They are the only two women who have been in my life for some time.'